Warriors struggling to keep their most loyal fans in the fold

JORGE L. ORTIZ, OF THE EXAMINER STAFF

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, November 17, 1996

A GLANCE around the San Jose Arena during Thursday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks revealed an eye-opening sight - a sea of empty seats. The large number of deserted rows on the upper bowl no longer startles frequent visitors. The chunks of empty seats in the lower bowl still do.

The announced attendance of 14,414 was a good 3,000 or so above the actual turnout, and about 4,000 below capacity.

The end of the Warriors' string of 311 straight sellouts was a foregone conclusion when they moved to the 18,500-seat facility for a season. But the disgruntlement among many of their fans calls into question how often they'll fill the arena, either this season or next at their renovated home in Oakland.

Some Warriors fans are mad as hell, and they're not going to give anymore.

One of them is Paul Krow of San Mateo, a 23-year season-ticket holder. After the opening-night loss to the Clippers, he wrote an angry letter to the team.

As opposed to fans in The City, Marin or the East Bay, Krow did not list the long commute to San Jose as a grievance. Rather, he was upset at what he perceived as a lack of responsiveness from the Warriors' management, not to mention the team's lousy play.

Like so many followers of teams trying to build a new facility, he's also appalled at what he considers the Warriors' attempts at price gouging with licensing fees. So after attending about 38 games a season for more than 20 years, he's put his season tickets up for sale and says there's only a 10 percent chance he'll renew next year.

"They don't want me as a fan, they want Sun Microsystems, they want Oracle," said Krow, a businessman.

Jim Rogers, the Warriors' director of marketing, has heard it all before. There's a tone of resignation in his voice when he says, "It hasn't been an easy change. It's been a challenge."

But he denies the team has failed to respond to the fans' needs, adding, "The amount of effort that has gone into renewing season-ticket holders has impacted our ability to sell to new people. It literally has been a hand-holding process."

Those season-ticket holders who renewed this year will get priority in choosing seats at the new arena, which rankles those who resist making the commute to San Jose. Including drive time to and from the arena, watching the Warriors live can easily require investing five hours, plus a considerable amount of money.

It should come as no surprise that the renewal rate for season tickets has been only about 70 percent, and the team is still seeking its first sellout in four home games. Chances are it will take place Tuesday, when Shaquille O'Neal and the Lakers come into town. As of Friday, tickets were still available.

The Warriors won't announce until the new year the price structure and seat configuration in their new arena, which will hold 19,200. Rogers said licensing fees would be attached to about 50 percent of the seats, probably those in the lower bowl, as opposed to the whole building.

Rogers said he's talked to Krow and other season-ticket holders and tried to address their concerns.

"I don't particularly blame people for being upset," Rogers said.

Quick impression

Philadelphia guard Allen Iverson, the first player taken in the draft, has wasted no time making his mark. After just two weeks, there's already intense debate as to which moves faster, his mouth or his legs.

Iverson's quickness has left more than one opponent checking his soles for glue. His trash-talking also has irked some of the league's veterans.

"I ain't chasing those young guys around," said the Bulls' Ron Harper, 32, after a frustrating night of guarding Iverson.

"There's a lot of trash-talking out there," Michael Jordan said in reference to the rookie. "I don't remember talking trash, at least not to strangers."

Harper was less than amused.

"The guy is showing disrespect," he said. "You come into the league and you have to do something or your team has to do something (before you talk). That's just immature."

At 23.7 points per game, Iverson was backing up the talk - before he separated a shoulder Friday night. He will be out at least a week.

Bogues may be done

One of the NBA's most amazing stories may be reaching a sad conclusion.

The Hornets' Muggsy Bogues, the league's smallest player ever at 5-3, has not been able to recover from the knee injury that limited him to six games last season. Team officials are now painting the bleakest picture yet when talking about the chances of Bogues contributing, or perhaps even playing, again.

Bogues had surgery on his left knee in the summer of 1995 after chipping cartilage, but still endures pain so bad he says he "wouldn't wish it on anyone."

Doctors say Bogues has a degenerative condition that will never improve. He essentially has bone rubbing against bone in one area of the knee, because there is no cartilage left and scar tissue has been slow to form.

"I'm really worried about my health, and I know the doctor's really concerned about me going out there and continuing to play on it," said Bogues, 31.

If he continues to play, Bogues risks developing a permanent limp later on in life or having to undergo a knee replacement.

Bogues has averaged 8.4 points and a phenomenal assists-to-turnover ratio of nearly 5-1 in a 10-year career. Of course, 5-3 is the number that always comes to mind when thinking about this remarkable player.

3-pointers

As of Saturday, Jason Kidd was averaging only 8.9 points, 7.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds while collecting just eight steals. His .349 field goal percentage was the lowest on the team among any player who had attempted at least 20 shots. . . . Even before Cedric Ceballos went down for at least a couple of months with a knee injury, small forward was the Lakers' thinnest position. Jerome Kersey (fractured left foot) and Trevor Wilson (patella tendinitis, left knee) were already on the injured list. Wilson is the likely successor, at least for now. . . . The Bucks may be ready to give up on Shawn Respert, the eighth pick in last year's draft. Despite working hard over the summer, Respert has not shown the ability to play point guard. Listed at 6-2, he finds it difficult to shoot his lethal jumper and to defend against bigger guards.

The last dribble

"If I win the rebounding title, he has to wear a dress on

TV."

- Dennis Rodman, on Charles Barkley's contention that he might lead the league in rebounds this year.&lt;